I remember the first time I met Paul Langmack. I was the Premier by that stage, and he knew I was a big Bulldogs fan.
Paul just put his arm around me and started talking about the footy – like we’d known each other for 40 years.
He’d go up to fans at any Bulldogs match and spend time with them. He had a way of making people feel completely at home. He was an icon of the game. But he never let it go to his head. Players who’ve got time for the fans are special people.
I was a kid when Paul Langmack was playing in the blue and white.
I remember sitting on the hill at Belmore. This was a golden era for the Dogs. We won the comp in ’84 and ’85, and in 1988.
Langers was at the centre of it, dominant as a skilful ball-playing lock, handy at five-eighth when required, more than capable in the back row, and always tireless in defence. He set a club record for consecutive games played.
He was rightly rewarded when he got called up for the Kangaroos and the Blues. After joining the Magpies, he became one of the first players to go past 300 first-grade games. (Only fellow Bulldogs legend Terry Lamb, along with Geoff Gerard, reached that milestone before him.) Langers leaves a legacy, and much of that is through his work post-footy.
Running mental health programs. Delivering wellbeing programs to thousands of kids statewide. Volunteering with NSW Police to serve breakfast to youth on the streets. Backing Bulldogs community initiatives.
He was a titan of the game. A fantastic footballer. A larger-than-life figure. A great bloke.
Paul Langmack’s death is a big loss for the Bulldogs and a big loss for the state. I am devastated for his family. He has left us far too soon. Vale Paul Langmack.
